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Tristan Thompson, 6'8,
Freshman,
Power Forward, Texas
11.2 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists, 1.3 Steals, 2 Blocks, 1.8 Turnovers, 46.9%
FG, 48.3% FT
One of the top freshmen in the country, former
McDonald's All-American Tristian Thompson is off to a solid, albeit inconsistent start in Austin. He's put together some great single-game performances, including a 17-point, 15-rebound effort against Michigan State and a 20-point performance against Illinois, but he's struggled at times as well, as evidenced by his 6-point performance against USC and 4-point, foul plagued outing against
North Carolina. An intriguing prospect with some impressive physical tools, Thompson has made his strengths and weaknesses abundantly clear early in his freshman season, supporting many of our observations from his high school career in the process.
Standing just 6'8, Thompson is a bit undersized for a power forward on the
NBA level, but compensates with a tremendous 7'2 wingspan. Sporting a solid frame that looks as though it could handle quite a bit of additional muscle, the Ontario native has the athleticism to play either forward spot at the next level, but is relegated to the power
forward position by his lack of perimeter skills. Taking that into consideration, it will be important for Thompson to maximize his physique by continuing to work hard in the weight room.
Thompson's athleticism plays a key role in his draft projections at this point because his skill set is still growing into his body. He does a few things very well on the offensive end, all of which revolve around the imposing quickness, length, and leaping ability he possesses for his position on the
college level. First, he gets to the line at a high rate, ranking 7th in our database in FTA/FGA at 0.89 per-attempt, an incredibly impressive accomplishment for a player who lacks a polished post repertoire and great ball-handling prowess.
Second, he ranks as one of the top per-40 minute pace adjusted rebounders amongst prospects in the college game. Finally, Thompson is also a very good finisher, efficiently scoring tip in opportunities, fast break feeds, and simple catch and finish opportunities.
Apart from his ability to finish, draw contact, and crash the glass, Thompson is limited by his skill-level at this point. His awkward jump shooting mechanics make him a non-factor away from the rim and renders him as a highly questionable free throw shooter (48%) and midrange scoring threat. He's capable of making quick, decisive straight-line drives to the rim by exploiting his long strides and nice first step, but needs to become a steadier ball-handler with both hands and a better decision-maker to maximize his potential as a face-up threat.
Defensively, there is a lot to like about Thompson at this point. Maligned for his effort level at times early in his career, the Findlay Prep product is a consistently active defender at this point in his career who can adjust shots around the rim and make an impact in the passing lanes out on the perimeter.
A versatile defender on the
NCAA level, Thompson's blend of length, strength, and lateral quickness allow him to defend both forward positions effectively. He doesn't change directions extremely well at this point, losing his man on double-moves on occasion, but he does deny penetration well and with additional coaching, he could match his ability to pull down rebounds at a high rate with the ability to defend the inside and outside alike.
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-12302010--3604/
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
